Motiveless Motive
by Sevi Snape
Summary: A women is murdered and buried in Hogwarts grounds, who is she and why was she killed, what exactly was the motive?


Usual disclaimer you know the drill.

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**Motiveless Motive**

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The wind howled around the lonely figure in the woods the earth in front of them disturbed. The figure was silhouetted against the trees, a figure in a hooded cloak. A spade lay nearby and the only light was the faint glow from the smooth stick in their hand. A heavy thump was heard as they picked up a large heavy bad and threw it into the hole they had dug. It was a sickening sound that made your stomach drop and your throat go tight. The figure showed no guilt as they picked the spade up and shovelled earth over the bag and its contents. They stamped roughly on the earth and picked up the shovel again and left the spot with a mutter of 'you deserve it.'

The castle was unusually subdued; the news of a murder and the body being found in the forest had unnerved the students. The staff were weary and upset at the death of the woman. None more so than her husband. Severus hadn't unlocked his study door for days and refused to leave the confines of it. He barely ate and the only people that had seen him since he had found out the news were Dumbledore, the house elf that brought his meals and on occasion Hermione as she went to pick up his lesson plans. She had been called in to take his lessons until he felt strong enough to do it himself. 

"Severus it's me, Hermione. I've come to get tomorrows lesson plans." Called the small voice outside the door.

Magically the door opened and then shut and locked behind Hermione as soon as she was inside. Severus was a state, he hadn't shaved and the curtains were drawn on his windows. It was very unlikely he had showered or slept either, judging from the smell and dark rings around his eyes. Hermione picked her way across the bottle-strewn floor to the desk on the other side of the room. In the drawer were the lesson plans. This was the only thing he had done since the news, write a few sketchy lesson plans. Probably in a drunken stupor, the writing was not clear and the sentences didn't make complete sense. Hermione used to pick them up the day before the lesson so she could spend the night deciphering them.

Severus was lying in the couch with his arm over his eyes. The other hand clutching an almost empty bottle of liquor. He had run out of Fire Whisky and had now resorted to cheap, strong liquor anything to get him drunk enough to forget. It had only lasted a couple of hours. A few hours of alcohol induced ignorant bliss. It didn't work anymore, now there was never enough liquor to make him forget.

Hermione knelt down next to him and conjured a mug of coffee. She removed the bottle from his hand and helped him sit up.

"Severus drink this." She handed him the mug and sat next to him. "Severus come on please try to carry on. Don't give up on everything please don't. elsie wouldn't want that would she?"

Severus took the cup and tried very hard to get his brain to make his hands and arms guide it to his lips. Finally he managed it and drank deeply. He looked at Hermione his eyes never quite able to focus on her.

"I loved her, I loved her more than anything. She was the only I lived for." He slurred his words and then took another drink.

"Severus please come on. Take a shower or a bath and get up walk around. Even if you don't want to work, I'll do lessons and everything just try." Hermione said getting up and beginning the pick up bottles and meal plates.

He only allowed house elves to bring him meals he had never allowed them to tidy up his rooms. He had lived here with his wife. There had seemed little point getting a house as he was at work so much so she had moved in with him before they had got married and even after marriage they decided to stay here. Both had refused house elves, as they wanted it to be a real home for them. The students never quite knew how the woman was. She used to leave the castle early for work and returned at tea times which she would join the staff for in the great hall then return to the rooms she and Severus shared.

She was such a pleasant person, quiet and polite. She was so calm and forgiving, she had to be to be able to put up with Severus terrible moods and tempers. She was small only about 5ft tall, with long brown hair and large, almond shaped blue eyes. She had such a good sense of humour. All in all she was a lovely person and this was why people couldn't understand the murder. Finally they came to the conclusion it was a random attack and not a planned murder. 

Hermione helped Severus get up and sent him into the bathroom to bathe while she began to tidy up. She understood that he was in mourning but he hadn't really moved for nearly a month and a half. She knew he wouldn't be up to facing people yet but at least he could wash and make himself feel better. It didn't take long to tidy the place. Picking up a few things and wiping down a few surfaces, soon the rooms looked decent.

Severus emerged form the bathroom to find the rooms tidy and Hermione sat reading the lesson plans while drinking a cup of tea.

"Feel any better?" she asked carefully looking up at him with sympathy.

"Slightly yes. I suppose I should look after myself, she wouldn't have wanted this."

"No she wouldn't, and you'll feel better for it." Hermione carried on reading while Severus sat besides her thinking, the drunken stupor was still showing but at least he was clean even if he hadn't shaved. 

"Stars shining bright above you," Hermione began to sing to herself quietly, "night breezes seem to whisper I love, birds singing in the sycamore trees."

Severus remembered this song some were in the recesses of his mind.

"Dream a little dream of me." Hermione sang softly, then softly started to hum it. 

She was unconscious that she was doing it and Severus was too drunk to notice. After about an hour Hermione had finished deciphering the first lesson plan and had written notes so as to remind herself what to do. She looked at Severus who had not spoken a word in all the time he had been sat next to her. He had fallen asleep. Quietly she pulled a fleece blanket from the back of the sofa and draped it over him. It would do him good to sleep at last. Silently she kissed his forehead and left the room, locking the door after her. At least he was up, she told herself, at least he got up. 


End file.
